Art for All

Buying original art can often seem like an activity reserved for the rich — but it doesn’t have to be. The Affordable Arts Festival will make its Denver debut today, with more than 115 booths filled with artwork priced at $100 or below. Organizer and photographer Jim DeLutes says he got the idea from a similar, wildly successful festival in Milwaukee; after watching the Black Friday-like excitement that event inspired, DeLutes, who also runs the Downtown Denver Arts Festival, decided to start his own version. “A lot of people may not go to art shows because they’re sort of intimidated; they don’t want to look stupid because they can’t afford anything,” he explains. “When people show up here, they’re already engaged in wanting to buy something, because they know ahead of time that they can buy any-thing and everything at every booth.”

Artists from across the country working in all different mediums will be featured, with works at very reduced prices; DeLutes recommends getting there early for some of the best deals. The Affordable Arts Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at Arapahoe Community College, 5900 South Santa Fe Drive in Littleton; the $5 admission fee supports the ACC Foundation’s scholarship fund. For a guide to some of the best finds at the festival and to buy advance tickets, visit www.affordableartsfestival.com.
Sun., Aug. 26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 2012